There are few musical figures with as fearsome a reputation as Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The man does not suffer fools – which is why FasterLouder sent one of our best, Brendan Barnhill, to pick his mind. What Brendan found was a “personable, charming and polite” interviewee who offered incisive and intelligent answers. The full interview will be up soon, but in the meantime we thought we’d share some sound-bites from the exchange.
Anton spoke eloquently about everything from the movie DiG! to making music in Swedish; even drawing a sort-of parallel between himself and Hitler. “What I want you to understand – is that Hitler is famous and infamous,” he mused to Brendan. “As a person, I am infamous – but as Anton from Brian Jonestown Massacre I’m practically famous – just as Hitler. People know me.
“Yeah…I have had my share of negative controversy and things said about me personally and not about my music. For the right or wrong reasons, people know me. I’m a man but I’m also a musician. I’m Anton but I’m also your friend. I’m not trying to start the an anti-Semitic movement…I’m making art!”
It appears Anton was very taken by Brendan too. “You could be out right now with your friends or making art,” he said, “and yet you are on the phone to me and we are making conversation and connecting about my music. That is worth more than anything [like] money.”
Make sure to check back for the full Anton Newcombe interview in coming weeks!
sarahanne
said ages ago